Alex McFarland and David Dylan Burrows host Exploring the Word

>> Alex McFarland: The Bible.

>> Jeff Chamblee: It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Welcome to Exploring the Word. Merry Christmas.

>> Alex McFarland: Welcome to another edition of Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here, along with David Dylan Burrows. Dylan is sitting in for Bert while Bert is out for the holidays. And we're going to get into Isaiah 32 and talk about, the king reigning in righteousness. And I think you know who that king is. King Jesus. But we welcome you and as we did yesterday, we'll get in with questions later on in this show.

Uh, Dylan, first of all, thank you for joining us today

Dylan, first of all, before we kind of tie a bow on Isaiah 31, I want to thank you. You've been very gracious with your time over Christmas. And for those that may be unaware, you're a prolific writer. You've authored many books. You worked with, the great apologist John Ankerberg for a lot of years. You've also spoken with me at our Truth for NewSong Generation conferences. But for those that may be unaware, introduce yourself, Dylan.

>> Alex McFarland: Sure. Well, it's great to be with you as always. And for those of you in the audience, if you're new, to me or to us being together recently, I'm a, a pleasure to be with you today. My background includes doing youth ministry as well as church ministry and later apologetics. And that's like you said with Dr. Ankerberg for many years and now in other contexts. I've taught at Liberty University Online as an adjunct professor for many years and have done lots of writing with best selling Christian authors across the country and one of those being Alex. And so the Lord brought us together many years back to partner together in ministry and we continue to do so through answering Bible questions, through dealing with the tough questions of the faith and doing that whether it's youth at a conference or whether it's people like you listening today. I live in the great state of Tennessee, right next door to Alex McFarland in North Carolina with my wife and three kids. I have a son who's an amazing guitar player who plays at Christian conferences across the country, and two daughters who are in college and high school. An amazing wife who keeps us all running together. And then I get to do this. So it's an honor and a pleasure, as always.

You have made a handwritten Bible for your children, haven't you

>> Alex McFarland: Well, indeed. And you know, one of the things that I've told so many people, ah, much to the surprise and awe of many listeners, you have made a handwritten copy of God's word for your children, haven't you?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes, and I haven't talked about it that much. People, think you're crazy when you talk about that, because why would anyone write out the words of scripture? But toward the end of 2010, I felt led to start handwriting the Bible so I can learn it better. And I started with the book of Matthew and thought there are 260 chapters, one chapter each weekday. I'll at least finish the NewSong Testament in one year. Well, when I finished, I felt led to continue with the Old Testament. So I went back, you know, simple, ah, paper and pencil, nothing fancy, no amazing calligraphy skills. And over about a three and a half year period, finished the Bible. And when I got done, I thought, what am I going to do with all these binders of scripture? And I knew that it was something I wanted to leave behind for my children. But I have three children, so. So I thought, well, maybe I can do this again. And over a course of about 14 total years, handwrote the Bible from Genesis through Revelation 3 total times. In a way that's transformed the way I look at scripture, how I look at life. And it changes everything I do in terms of how I see ministry and how I see scripture today.

>> Alex McFarland: Wow. I mean, that is real commitment, not only to the spiritual growth of your children, but to God's Word. And, you know, I think about the scribes or the copyists. did you, when you were copying God's word in its entirety, did you ever think about those copyists that came before us for centuries and centuries preserving those manuscripts?

>> Alex McFarland: Of course, there are times when you kind of picture yourself in that line of history doing the same thing, even though it's not necessary in the same style, that it was before the printing press. but there is an intimacy you have with scripture when you take the time to write out every letter, every word, every verse of every chapter, and how that focuses you on not flying through a verse or even, you know, going through chapter after chapter like a regular reading of a book. But you're thinking about it the whole time. God is speaking to you through it. There's no rushing, you can't speed it up. It's like laying bricks, you know, this one upon another upon another. And through all the ups and downs of life, I, think back to certain passages. So it's funny, when we talk about Isaiah, 31, for example, I look at that and I can think back to when I was writing the words of Isaiah 31. And some of the things going on in life during that time and how God brought me through it and continues to bring me through it today.

>> Alex McFarland: When, Dylan, when you were making a copy of God's Word for your kids, for each of your children. And by the way, folks, I've actually seen some of these binders. One time you were at our house with Angie and me, and you had some binders. And, you just kind of offhandedly remarked, you said, oh, by the way, look at this. I'm copying the whole Bible for one of my kids. And we were just speechless. I, mean, it was like such a precious thing you did for your children. But, was there any particular part of the Bible? And you had read it? You know, we all have. And yet something brand new jumped out at you?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, there's so many things that I could go into, but one part that stood out to me probably the most is the Book of Psalms. And part of is the sheer size. You think, how will you ever finish one copy of the Book of Psalms? You know, one chapter is hard enough, but it's that repeated theme over and over of God's greatness, praising him through the ups and downs of life. And those themes that you think to yourself, the Jews would have sung many of these songs in ages past. And here still today, I'm reflecting on the same words. And God is working in me by the same spirit he worked through those people over a thousand or over 2,000 years ago. And we are able to glean from that, to communicate it and to apply it to our lives. And there's nothing better than extended time in God's Word. It's not just devotional time. When I'm doing that, it's transforming in every area of life. And, I definitely don't recommend it for everyone because it is such a challenge. But at least prayerfully consider what it would do if you wrote out even a passage of Scripture to help you better remember it and reflect on it in your daily walk with the Lord.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, in addition to the rsv, the, NewSong King James, the esv, the nlt, Holman Christian Standard. I guess there's the dbv.

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, that's funny. Well, I wasn't creating a translation. I'm, not quite that advanced. But just a simple copy of an existing version. I used the NIV because that was the version I was reading and a simple English version I hoped my children would be able to read a generation from now. but certainly as, something that's unique to God's experience in my life and, it's, it's been transforming in ways I can't even express.

Even believers are going to participate in the judgment, says Gary July

>> Alex McFarland: Well, yesterday as we were wrapping up Isaiah 31, you know, God reminded Israel the Egyptians are men and they're not God and they're not to be trusted in or feared. And it talks about how the, the Assyrians were going to follow. One of the verses that really jumped out at me was how it talks about, the Lord has spoken in Isaiah 31:4, like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey. When a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them. So shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for Mount Zion. And the image, you know, very often shepherd has a positive endearing connotation, but this is like a group of shepherds that are trying to fight off a predator. And no amount of shepherds could fight off the power of God. Actually interviewed a man that was a shepherd. he at one time was an Arabic Muslim and he became a born again Christian and then became a mathematician, was a professor at liberty, late in life. And he talked about how the shepherds would have to stay up all night long, literally, you know, midnight to sunrise to fight off coyotes and predators. Well, when God's judgment falls, no amount of noise or human force can hold back the arm of the Lord. And the judgment of God. And God's sovereign power, I think is very illustrated in Isaiah 31 as we get into Isaiah 32. Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in judgment. Dylan, you know, those princes are going to be God's people. in fact, even believers are going to participate in the judgment. Now this is part of the NewSong Testament, but, when it says that we will rule and reign with Christ one day in his kingdom, that that really is true, isn't is?

>> Alex McFarland: And we don't think about that much. We think about if we know Christ, we go to heaven and we are there with him for eternity and all those who know him. And that's a joyous occasion. But it's not going to be like some of the images of us sitting around singing and doing nothing else. There will be work to do, there will be activities, there will be, purposes for our lives, even in the eternal afterlife and with the Lord. So when we think about passages like this, the millennial K, for instance, it talks about in Revelation 20, where Christ will rule from his throne here on the earth, and we look at that and say, how does that work? well, we don't know all the details, but we do know that we will have a role to play. We will have a part in that. And yet we will also be under the ultimate rule of the Lord Jesus Christ. So there's a lot of that that still remains to be seen. But it is interesting for us to look at that still now and say there's, there's a plan for us even, after this life, and we need to be prepared for it by the way that we live. I'll say just one comment and pass it to you. Is that many times people who become a Christian, they wonder why they're still around. They think, you know, after you become saved, why don't I just go to heaven? Well, God has a plan for you still. it's to share the gospel through your life, through your message. And no matter your age, no matter your circumstance, no matter your ability to still move around if you're older, God still has a role for you if you are here. And we don't want to overlook that and skip straight to the afterlife. We want to be part of his role. Ongoing pouring, out of his spirit through us, through the lives of those around us, in whatever way he leads and guides us to do.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, and we're, we're in our relationship with Jesus now. If you're a born again Christian, Dylan, you're right. I mean, you don't just get saved and wait around for decades and someday die and go to heaven. Every day we're growing in the Lord every day. As First Corinthians 15:58 says, Our labor in the Lord is not in vain. And we're doing things, things, with eternal implication. Gary Habermas, who is a mutual friend. And, by the way, I'll be with Gary Habermas at the COVID in, July. But Dr. Habermas says that one thing that we're doing as Christians, everything post salvation, we are really, by our obedience, our service, our investment, our stewardship, all things, living as a citizen of God's kingdom, the kingdom of Christ. Habermas says we are shaping what eternity is going to be like for us. And in Isaiah 32, let me read through this. A king shall reign in righteousness, princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

Genesis 3 talks about a future kingdom that Israel has hope for

Okay, and then from three and following And I want us to kind of do a deep dive on this. It talks about this future kingdom, this hope that Israel has. And, actually this is a rare show because we're going to. I've got the King James here. We're going to say something good about liberalism. We don't do. In fact, we, virtually would never do that. But liberal is not the way we might think of it politically now. But Dylan, this is very beautiful. The eyes of them that see shall not be dim. And the ears of them that hear shall hearken or listen. There's going to be no blindness. No. Well, there's no more entropy, in the future kingdom with the Lord of life, the decay, the fall, the ripple effects of Genesis 3. Entropy. It's not going to be there, is it?

>> Alex McFarland: You're right. There's so much that we could say about this passage, but a big part of it is that focus that, God has a plan in the future where all the wrongs from today will be made right. All of our weaknesses in this life will be made correct. And so we look forward to that, but we still deal with the situations. So we'll be back in a moment after this commercial and, look forward to talking with you more here on Exploring the Word.

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Dylan Bros with Alex McFarland discuss God's plans for us

>> Alex McFarland: Welcome back here to Exploring the Word. This is Dylan Bros with Alex McFarland and we've been enjoying some time together today in isaiah, chapters 31 and part of 30, 32, talking about God's plans for us in the future and God's plans for us here now. And Alex, I think we left off with a look at some of these verses at the beginning of chapter 32, where it talks about some of the things that we deal with today, not being a problem anymore, whether it be our eyesight, whether it be our hearing, whether it be other issues that we would like to correct in this life. And we have that to look forward to in the presence of the Lord, but we also have purpose to look forward to, like you talked about. And I want us to talk a little bit more about that as we get into some of the other verses that God very clearly, directly and repeatedly talks about, things that he has in store for us for all eternity. And it shows to me, at least, Alex, that God has a very loving, caring and detailed plan for every aspect of our lives destiny.

>> Alex McFarland: He really does. And, welcome back everybody, and thank you, Dylan, for being with us.

In Isaiah 32, after the judgment, there is this kingdom

You know, in Isaiah 32, after the judgment, there is this kingdom, and there, there's a tangible change in, in the redeemed people. you know, I've met people that are saved, and maybe they still are fearful. You know, I've met people that are saved and maybe they carry wounds or baggage from years of, you know, painful past circumstances perhaps, or something like that. But, it goes on and there's no aging. The eyes of them that see shall not be dim. Verse 4. The heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. Now, the word rash in the King James, in the original language, it can mean an impulsive person, but it can also mean a fearful person. But they're going to understand knowledge. And in other words, whatever this, impediment or deficiency is, whether it's lack of self control or lack of confidence, it's going to be gone when Christ returns and when we're in his kingdom. And the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. do you remember Moses, was intimidated to go before Pharaoh because he was a man slow of speech, he said, and yet God said, look, I'll give you the words to say. And, of course he did. Dylan, I think that, one of the great realities of the Christian faith, maybe we'll say the benefits package is that we're going to be made whole. In fact, we are whole. The Bible says we're complete in Christ, but one day with Christ in person there in his kingdom, it will be perfection. you and I have both been in local church ministry. I was just a, ah, youth pastor when I did my first funeral. But in heaven there's going to be no more funerals, no more hospital visits, no more terminal diagnoses. I mean, isn't it great to think about Christ? is the one who says, behold, I make all things new. And that includes every believer, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: That's so true. I think of the final chapter of the Bible, and if you look at the ultimate reality where believers will dwell with the Lord, it says in verse three of Revelation 22, there will no longer be any curse. Verse four says, we will see his face. verse five says, there will be no more night, and we will reign with him forever and ever. So we have all this to look forward to. You know, you think of different songs that touch on these ideas, like the classic song I Could Only Imagine. And we think about that and sometimes we're sad because of a loved one who has gone on before us. But it also gives us that future hope that what we see now is not all there will be and that things will, one day be right when we are in the presence of the Lord and all that matters is that we are with him and with those who know Him. So it's just a good encouraging word that we see in Revelation and we also see here in Isaiah a hint of that, of what we have and in front of us for eternity.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, I love the King James, but, five through seven in the King James. Well, really five through eight. I think the old, Elizabethan English really could be updated a little bit here. And I'm going to read from the, the NLT that our friend Josh McDowell recommends so highly. But it says in that day, ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected. For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord. Boy, that's true. We've lived in an age where there are people, even on radio and tv, that speak false teachings about the Lord. And, that's why we need to know the word so thoroughly, so that we wouldn't be misled. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty. The smooth tricks of the scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just. Let me read that verse seven again. The King James Says the instruments also of the churl. Now C H U R L. That's a miser. That's like Ebenezer Scrooge, somebody who just loves money, even at the expense of people. And it talks about they've had schemes and tools that are, that are evil. The verse seven, the, the churl. And, it's kind of an Old English word, a churlish person, someone that you can't really turn your back on. You can't trust them. They devise wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh. Right, Dylan. this world under the rule of man, even in the best of circumstances, there can be, injustice and people in the right that suffer wrong, people in the wrong that seem to prosper. But folks do not despair. That's one of the questions that we sometimes answer in apologetics. Why do the righteous suffer? And why do the ungodly seem to prosper in their way? Well, just be patient. The righteous judge is coming, the king sees all. And there's coming a day, Dylan, as we say down south, where Jesus is going to iron out every wrinkle. And, everything will be made right in God's time, upon Christ's return.

>> Alex McFarland: Agreed, of course. And I think to a couple of examples in scripture. The classic example of Job, who went through so much hardship, even though he didn't do anything wrong up front to deserve it. And that what God ultimately did in his life, the NewSong Testament, reaches back and draws power from that. We also see the example of Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He was wrongfully accused and spent time in prison for things he did not do. But ultimately the Lord used that as part of his plan to fulfill his work in his own life. And still today God continues to do that in my life and can do that in yours. I think of Ephesians 2:10 especially, because we always think about Ephesians 2, 8 and 9 that talk about by grace we've been saved through faith. But verse 10 is often left out. It says we are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. And some people emphasize that idea of good works or masterpieces. The Greek poem is like a poem as something that's, creatively made. And so God's working in our lives in a creative and special way to help us fulfill what he has in store for us now that will have ongoing effects even throughout eternity future. So you're very right to mention that and it's touched on a little bit here in Isaiah, but the whole of scripture repeatedly shows that kind of purpose that God has for our lives.

>> Alex McFarland: after the change that's coming in the lives of people, good changes. there's really kind of a warning call in verse nine. Rise up, ye women that are at ease. Hear my voice, ye careless daughters. Give ear unto my speech. the NLT renders it. Listen, you women who lie around at ease. Listen to me, you who are so smug. Verse 10. In a short time, just a little more than a year, you careless ones will suddenly begin to care.

Dylan: Verse 9a warns women not to be careless about harvest

Dylan, it's been our joy to be friends with a lot of Jewish families. There are. Right. Many Jewish people in North Carolina, some believers, some we're working on, but, there's a blessing of, Jewish. When the matriarchs are blessing the young adult females, they'll say something like, may God make you like a daughter of Sarah or Rebecca, Raechel or Leo or Leah. I'm saying, may God bless you. But this verse 9a. Ah, careless daughter. That is not a compliment because the, the blessed daughter, the godly daughter, is not careless, but is on point, being very mindful daily to live righteously. And so this is really a warning saying, look, you know, don't be careless and don't think you can just lie around and do nothing or be smug or gossip. Your life, your stewardship of your days. Every word you say, the king is coming. And, you know, just as we want to be sons of righteousness and Christian women should aspire to really live out their identity as a daughter of the king. these words remind us to be ready for the time that we'll give an account before the king. many days and years shall you be troubled, you careless women. For the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come. There's not going to be a crop. The idea that you could be at the end of the growing season and not have a crop, that was a very fearful thing. People, if they wanted to get somebody's attention, you know, like, the summer is over, the harvest is passed, and we are not saved. The idea that the harvest time had passed us by, that was a severe warning. You know, I'm sure you've heard evangelists say things like, you know, the day of opportunity is going to pass by. That is true, folks. in life, you know, I grew up on a farm, and we, besides raising chickens, we grew a lot of crops and many a crop like corn, and we grew 100 acres of corn every year for decades. I mean, there is the optimum time to get in that harvest, and if you miss it, the crop can spoil.

Dylan says there's an opportune time to act on harvest

Well, Dylan, let's talk about people coming to Christ. There might even be somebody listening. And you're, you're aware that you need to get right with God. And Jesus died for you. He rose again. And you have this moment to pray and make sure that you've trusted Christ. But you, you have no guarantee of tomorrow and the optimum moment for the harvest. And by that, I mean your heart being one to Jesus, it could be today, right now. And by the way, Brent Austin will get the email. If you want more information about how to be saved, email us wordfr.net, w o r d wordfr.net we'll send you the same material that we've sent countless numbers of people because we want you to know that you are saved. that's powerful illustration comparing it to a harvesting of a crop, isn't it, Dylan?

>> Alex McFarland: It is. And like you, I grew up in an area around farmers where you saw the corn out in the field or other crops, and there was a certain time when you were to take in the harvest and if you didn't, it would turn out badly for you. There are some years where the harvest was bigger than other years, due to lack of rain, lack of water. And in Bible times, or in these Old Testament times that Isaiah was written in, people would have very clearly understood this idea of harvest, that there's an opportune time where you need to act. And that's still true today when the NewSong Testament talks about the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. That applies, both to those who are unbelievers now may not be sure of their salvation, or to believers who are maybe stagnant in their faith and not living their life fully for the Lord now. And I would say in the messages that we get a lot of times, Alex, you know, one of the most common themes is either, doubts about someone's own salvation or prayers and a broken heart for family and friends who don't know the Lord. And in both cases, my heart goes out to them because the Lord wants us to know that we are his children and he wants us to share our faith with others. And he wants that harvest to be plentiful and the workers are few. But he has a role for each of us to play in communicating that message. So I hope you'll reach out to us, at the email that Alex Mentioned. You can also share your prayer request with us or call in and share those requests or your Bible questions. We would love to help answer those in our final segment today. But as you said, this idea of harvest is important for us today, even if we don't live in the same type of farming society. Right, Alex?

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, well, and you know, Tuesday is kind of our day of prayer. in the third segment, in just a few minutes, obviously, as always, we'll take your Bible questions. But if you've got a prayer request, and you know, with the new year coming on, let's, let's all, myself included, let's purpose in our heart and pray that we're going to walk with Jesus, we're going to be in his word. Jesus Christ will be the priority. And if you want to call in, here's the number, get ready. It's triple 858-98840. That's 888-589-8840. Prayer request and questions in this upcoming third segment. But 32 closes out, in verse 14, the. The multitude of palaces shall be forsaken. Kind of reminds me of, First John 2, 15, 17. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, it's all passing away. But verse 15, the Spirit will be poured upon us from on high. The wilderness will be a fruitful field. The fruitful field will be counted as a forest. Boy, that's a bountiful land. And Dylan, you can go back and comment any way you want, but verse 20 closes out and it says, blessed are they that sow beside all waters. Now, I've sown a lot of seeds in my life, grown a lot of gardens. There's the good soil, topsoil, and then there's places that you can. The best gardener in the world could not grow a, crop in the time of God's kingdom and God's bounty. Doesn't matter where you sow, it's going to produce beside all waters. And, Dylan, do you have that patch of grass in your yard that, that place where grass just won't grow?

>> Alex McFarland: You ever have. There's the rocky soil sometimes, right where it just won't work no matter what you do. And people, people spend so much time and money on their yards, but oftentimes neglect the more important issues of the, the soul and of the souls of others. So we want to come back and talk about that again. Here in a moment on Exploring the Word. Thanks for joining us. Look forward to your calls in just a moment.

>> Jeff Chamblee: Every day, AFA offers biblical insight on issues that others aren't willing to touch in the hopes that you'll become a world changer. That's why we're offering an in depth worldview training course called Activate. Thirteen different professors teaching 18 sessions, all available online, including a printed workbook to help you apply what you've learned and one year access to AFA streaming content to give you even more resources. Find out more about Acctivate and sign up today at Acctivate afa.net.

>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Holy, holy, holy is there Lord God Almighty who has appears and years to come. With all creation and sing praise to the King of Kings. You are my everything and I will adore you.

Make a commitment to attend church every Sunday, Alex McFarland says

>> Alex McFarland: Well, welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here along with Dylan Burroughs. Bert is on vacation. And hey, we're going to go to the calls and I want to remind you, if you read through the Bible this year in its entirety, email us. Brent will collect the names and addresses. Wordfr.net and as we did last year, Bert and I have a certificate for you, the Exploring the Word annual Bible Challenge. And so, if you read through the Bible completely, all 66 books in the last 12 months, we'll mail you a certificate. It'll probably take us till late January to get them all out there, but we will. And then, of course, as the new year dawns, for one thing, make this commitment that you're going to be in church every Sunday. Now, if you're laid up with, you know, the flu or something, but part of being a disciple is to be a part of a local church. Dylan, Bert and I fervently believe that. And I just think that, sure, the Christian walk is personal, but it's collective and corporate as well. And so make 2026 the year that being involved in a local church is a priority. Dylan. We just think that's very important.

>> Alex McFarland: Of course. And for me, I always miss my home church. If I'm traveling like I was for the holidays, you look forward to getting back, getting to be with the people of God who are your family. To hear God's word sung, to hear prayers, to hear the word of God spoken. And so if you don't have a church home, now's the time to make a commitment for 2026, to go look for a place where God will lead you to be part of a church family. If you've been inconsistent in some Way, now's the time to make that NewSong Year's a pledge that you're going to be there every Sunday, possibly able to go. you'll be blessed if you do, you may not always feel like it. It's like exercise. Sometimes you don't enjoy it when you're doing it, but when you're done, you're always glad that you did it. So encourage everyone to make that renewed commitment for this next year.

>> Alex McFarland: Wonderful. Wonderful.

Mary in Tennessee asks for prayer for bereavement and employment situation

Well, we're going to start in Tennessee. Mary in Tennessee. Mary, thanks for holding and welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> William: Yeah, something went sideways until just now. I could barely hear anything. It got really quiet, was hard to hear. It was very quiet until just now. So that's kind of weird. Your sound system was kind of weird or something with the phone.

>> Alex McFarland: Welcome.

>> William: Okay, thank you. yeah, I was asking for prayer for a couple things. one was, a friend of mine, husband, passed away. He was in the hospital since the day before Thanksgiving. I had called before for prayer about that. He passed away the day before Christmas. so. And so his family and so forth is needing prayer, as well as his oldest son is. they don't know where he's at. He's been vanished, so he doesn't even know his dad passed away.

>> Caroline: So.

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, my goodness.

>> William: He's got a grandchild, too, a son as well. So. And then also I was needing prayer as far as work. I'm really in need of some kind of a steady work for myself as well.

>> Alex McFarland: Sure. Well, thank you for. And your name is Mary, right?

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah.

>> William: You sound like I can't hear you hardly at all, like you're in a tunnel or something.

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, I'm sorry. Well, Dylan, would you pray for Mary, for this family, the bereavement, the. The estranged child, and then for the employment situation. Would you lead us, Dylan?

>> Alex McFarland: Your, Heavenly Father, we thank you for this caller who's made a special request regarding a couple of very important situations. And first, our heart goes out to this, friend and family member, that's lost their life recently. And just pray for comfort for the family, for the friends, that you'd be with them and help them in a special way, that your peace would be upon them and that you would point them to you during this difficult and challenging time. I also want to pray for this prayer request for new work or for steady work as it's been requested. Please open the doors, Lord. provide the opportunity. That's just the right fit, just the right hours, just the Right income, just the right time. And we know that you can provide this. And oftentimes you will use these kind of challenges for us to look to you and to be humbled before you. And I pray that as this caller does, that you would help lead in a new way and a renewed work situation for the following year. And we pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Amen. Well, in Texas. Julian. Julian, thanks for holding and welcome to the show.

>> Caroline: Hi, how are you?

>> Alex McFarland: Good, good. Thanks for calling.

>> Caroline: Thanks for having me.

>> Alex McFarland: What's your prayer request, Julian?

>> Caroline: You know, I'd like to say I'd like to have a prayer of salvation spoken for all of my friends in the darkness and all my associates in the darkness as well.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. And you're, you're a believer, you know the Lord, right? Absolutely. Well, we're going to do that. We're going to pray. Thank you for bringing that up.

Rachel lost her son last year in a motorcycle accident

And, and that's one thing, folks. I want to challenge you in the new year to have your, your 10 most wanted list. Make a list of the 10 people that you most would like to see them get born again and then do what you can do. we've got a thing about praying for unsaved people and pray that they would hunger for the true and living God. We often encourage, we'll say, God, please keep somebody alive physically till they could be born spiritually. Julian, that's a great reminder. Also in Texas. Raechel. Raechel, if you are there, welcome.

>> Caroline: Hello?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes, you're on.

>> Caroline: Okay. Hi. I couldn't hear you very well. yes, I, first of all, I would like prayer. I am in some deep grief. I lost my 30 year old son last year on the 20th of December. He was killed in a motorcycle accident. And I'm having a hard time dealing with that. And secondly, I just need help with knowing how to deal with consequences and bad choices. how does one, when you know they've been a Christian for years and maybe have stumbled and not made the best of choices, reconcile with, you know, the things that they did that maybe wasn't the best that they could do and feeling like those consequences led to bad results? I am very, very hard on myself and just don't know how to forgive myself for maybe doing a better job as a believer.

>> Alex McFarland: Raechel, I think where your heart is, a lot of people feel that way. But let me encourage you. You do know the Lord, you've accepted Christ and you're saved, right?

>> Caroline: Yes, absolutely.

>> Alex McFarland: This takes time. But you've got to give Yourself permission to feel at peace in Jesus. Because the old has passed away, all things are made new. That's 2nd Corinthians 5:17. But one thing that I've seen it really in the life of my entire family. But, Joel 2:25 says, God restores the years. The locust has eaten. And Jesus is with you. And Jesus loves you. He does. You know, the Bible says that he has blotted out the handwriting that was against us. And, Dylan, you can weigh in on this. I think sometimes the devil wants us to beat ourselves up and just to kind of live in a state of perpetual remorse. And, Raechel, rejoice in Jesus. You really are as a believer. You're, you're, you're set free in Christ. That's very liberating, isn't it, Dylan?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes, it is. And to Raechel, we just want to say that we grieve with you. We're so, so sorry to hear about the loss of your son last year in the motorcycle accident. And we do join you in prayer as you continue to go through that grief process. I just remember back to, you know, it's 25 years ago now, losing my own father. And that first Christmas, that first year of all those events are so difficult as you go through them again and again, this time without your child. So we do pray for you. We also want to pray for your just spiritual well being. As you mentioned, you, seem to have your heart in the right place now. You've, you've made things right with God, but there are still those consequences you have to deal with from past things that have happened. But just know that God is with you. God goes before you and God knows your situation and all the details even before you do, so you can move forward in confidence. But also we want to pray that, God would give comfort and compassion during these difficult times. I just want to take a moment to pray for you, Raechel, if I could right now. And also for our friend Julian and his request. Father, we thank you so much for Raechel calling in today. And we, our hearts break with her and dealing with the loss of a child. It's so hard to even put into words. We pray your peace upon her today. Pray you'd help her to get through the grief yet another day, depending on your strength and finding strength in the people around her who can encourage her. We thank you that she has a heart turned toward you now and that we pray that you would give her wisdom and that you'd help her to move forward past Difficult, situations that she may have been part of in her past days and help her to move forward in faith knowing that you care for her. We also want to pray for Julian and his friends. he's asking salvation for them and, specifically pray for the salvation of each of those friends Julian had in mind. We know that you're already aware of that situation and I pray that you would use Julian to be an encouragement to them, to point them to the gospel. And we would be able to rejoice in the future that there would be new brothers and sisters and the, future eternal as a result of these prayers in this time, talking today. And pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

Dylan, do you have any advice on Bible memorization

Well, we're going to go to Kentucky Steve in Kentucky Steve. Thanks for holding and welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Caroline: Hey Alex, it's always good to talk with you. appreciate your faithfulness. my wife and I are in our mid-70s and we, we have a quiet time every morning. but we would like to.

>> Alex McFarland: Use.

>> Caroline: scriptural, memorization in the new year. And I know the Navigators used to have a memorization program, but I couldn't find it. And I went on, on the Internet to see if I could find. I haven't been able to find anything. do you know of anything you could recommend for us?

>> Alex McFarland: You know, that's a great question. there was a man, he passed away back about six years ago. Jack Vanliere Impe, his last name was Impe. And he had a Bible memorization plan. and it's out of print, but I've seen him on online and things like that. What I do is I write verses on index cards. it's old school, nothing fancy, just three by five index cards and a lot of the way that I've memorized many cherished verses. You know, I go through books and I'll underline verses and then I'll, I'll write them on index cards. But, you know, that might sound kind of rudimentary, but, it works. But, Dylan, do you have any advice on Bible memorization?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, it's interesting how things have shifted from print to mobile apps now more. And I've tried some of those. The Bible Memory app is a good one, but it's not the area where I excel in. But I would encourage you if you've never gone to this website, scripturememory.com it's a ministry devoted to helping believers memorize scripture. Scripturememory.com I know people in my own church who've been part of this ministry, and they learn, scripture in ways that is just amazing. And they do it in a group setting at times. So, I would encourage you to check that out. And that I think will. Will really bless you. So I hope that's an encouragement as well.

>> Alex McFarland: Steve, God bless you, and God bless you and your wife, your commitment to God's word. William in Ohio. William, welcome. Thanks for holding.

>> Caroline: You're welcome. Thanks for having me. Appreciate y'. All. Mary, Happy NewSong Year.

>> Alex McFarland: Kill. And to you.

>> Caroline: Thank you.

There's a difference between loving the world and loving Jesus, Alex says

I had a quick question. You had mentioned earlier about, First John, chapter two, verse 15, about warning, do not love the world or the things of the world.

>> Alex McFarland: Right.

>> Caroline: And then I, I kind of have an idea of what it. What the question may be or the answer. But, John 3:16 said God still loved the world. He gave his only begotten son. So it might be helpful to work that out a little bit. What's the difference there? The different words? And then, if you kind of know the. Understand the gist of my question.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. Is God breaking his own commandment, love? Not the world, says first John 2:15, then John 3:16. For God so loved the world. now in 1 John 2:15, the word is Kosmon, K, O S M O N. And it really speaks of, the world system. You know, there's the world, as in planet Earth, there's the human race, but then there's worldliness. And, Dylan, I think, the difference is, you know, God so loved the human race, John 3:16, that he sent his son because our great need was for salvation. But I think the first John 2:15 is a caution. and it is the same word, ah, Kosmon, or a variant of the Greek word kosmos. But the difference is God loved the human race so that he sent Jesus to be the redeemer. But we are warned not to be in love with this transient, temporal, worldly, fallen kingdom. and it goes on. The things that are in the world, 1st John 2:15, and here's what they are. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. we're not to be in love with those things, but we're being saved from those things. But John 3:16, God loved the human race so much, we needed salvation. And Dylan, praise God. The Father sent the Savior.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Yeah, well, the quick answer, like you said, is the difference between loving the people of the world. He says, if anyone believes. And then here in First John 2, written by the same Apostle John talks about the things of this world. There is that difference and we're certainly blessed that God loves us, that he accepts us like that. But, we need to be guarded against of the lust of this world as it says. So we appreciate your call and thank you all for calling. We pray for you, we pray for your families and your blessing upon you in the next year. Alex, thanks so much for having me on this week and look forward to being with you again in the future.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, thank you and thanks everybody for listening.

Abide in Jesus: The verb abide means continual uninterrupted action

Brent Austin for engineering. Here's first John 2, 28 and now little children. Abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. The verb abide means continual uninterrupted action. So let's keep on abiding in him. Thanks for listening to Exploring the Word and folks, blessings in the new year. Remember, Jesus is as close by as a prayer. The views and opinions expressed in this.

>> Caroline: Broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of.

>> Alex McFarland: The American Family association or American Family Radio.

A Day of Prayer And Our Continuing Study Of The Book Of Isaiah